Stug in the Mud
by xxMissIffyxx
Summary: Doug and Ste have to figure out what they want; through all their confusion and heartache. My interpretation of how the story will proceed...
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: This is a very short opening, it's kind of an introduction to why I think they didn't end up together in the episode. They both have a lot they need to get through so this isn't going to be easy. It's going to be quite long, bumpy and Brendan is also going to make an appearence. But that doesn't mean it won't be romantic or heartfelt. Remember this is wrote straight after the first kiss they shared so anything that happens after that episode probably won't be mentioned in here. Any mistakes are my own and I would love your feedback (of whatever kind!).** _

Doug was dreading Monday. He'd had the whole weekend off and found himself on the Sunday night, all at once, very nervous. He hadn't seen, spoken to or been any where near Ste since Friday and his heart ached at the thought. Ste thought he wasn't ready. Why couldn't he understand that he was just unprepared? All these thoughts and feelings had happened in a short time it'd be hard for anyone to understand them. He'd never felt that way towards a man before but now that he thought about it; he'd never actually loved a woman before. Of course, there was Becks and he thought he loved her but it was more that he cared for her. He still misses her; she was a great friend, she just didn't make him feel the same way Ste does.

Doug turned over on his bed a number of times before he realised that he wasn't going to get any sleep that night. He lazily made his way down the stairs, making sure not to wake anyone, and sat on the couch in silence. He needed space, time to think. He'd kept himself from remembering his kiss with Ste all weekend but in the early hours of the morning where Doug felt cold inside and out and alone; he needed this short memory of absolute warmth. As he closed his eyes the taste of Ste's lips flickered on Doug's and his stomach flipped over itself. His tongue wanted what his memory brought up. He bit his bottom lip as he felt the bottom half of his body stir. No-one had ever had this effect on him with just a memory alone, he wanted it again, he needed it.

…

Ste awoke with his mind spinning. That was the third night in a row that Doug had been in his dreams. He sat up in his bed and sighed at the time. It was only 3:00am and he certainly couldn't get back to sleep when he had woke up so urgently. His dream centred around Doug; they were happy, in a relationship and walking hand in hand down the village. The streets were empty until someone Ste didn't even recognise walked out The Dog. When this man walked past, Ste pulled his hand from Doug. He dragged him to the alley and pushed him against the wall. Not in passion or lust but in hatred and disgust. Ste wasn't gay, he wasn't a faggot or a poof. He had to gain back his masculinity; gain back what Doug had taken from him. His hand curled up into a fist and made its way to Doug's stomach. He doubled over gasping for the air that Ste had forced out of him. Ste couldn't stop. He loved the power it gave him, he loved how in control he could be. He looked at the helpless, defenceless Doug down at his feet as he begged for mercy. Suddenly, Ste understood why Brendan had done this to him; he understood why he'd done it to Amy...

Ste shook his head trying to get the still very vivid images out of his head.

_'This is why,'_ he thought _'This is why I can't be with Doug. I can't do that to him, I can't hurt him...'_ His life had revolved around abuse and hurt. He needed someone who could take care of him; after what he'd done he didn't deserve to be taking care of anyone. Doug was vulnerable and needed as much support as possible and Ste would help him of course but he just couldn't be with him. It didn't matter how much he wanted to.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Note: I'm so bad at writing big chapters. It took me a while to do this and it's still not as long as I wanted it to be. I'll try harder next time but don't be expecting very long chapters, I just find it hard to concentrate on one thing for a long time.** **Again, feedback is apprieciated and mistakes I apologize for :) **_

Doug was the first to arrive at the Deli. After waking up before the sun had even risen; he would rather have wanted to keep his hands busy rather than stay at home worrying. It would be a while before the Deli was due to open so Doug started preparing all the fillings and putting them into he fridge to keep fresh. It was eerily silent and the artificial lights in the Deli only added to the dreary atmosphere. It reminded Doug of an old classroom on a rainy day. Where the room was dark and depressing and the boring voice of the teacher was background noise as you drifted off thinking about what you would be doing when you got home. He suddenly thought it was a mistake to come so early. He had already nearly finished with the fillings and he'd only been there twenty minutes. He checked the clock: 5:30am. This was going to be a long morning...

…

Ste had only closed his eyes for barely five minutes before his alarm rang in his ears. He groaned as he rolled over and willed the noise to stop. He had non-existent energy as he dragged himself over the edge of his bed and pushed the button to his alarm with annoyance and dread bubbling up inside him. His brain had just caught up with what his body already knew and was fighting. He didn't want to go to work today and it wasn't because he just couldn't be bothered.

Doug was going to be there. Doug. The person he couldn't get out of his mind yet didn't want to see. Conflicted wasn't even half of what Ste was feeling. As his heavy body carried itself on autopilot to the bathroom his brain went into overdrive with worry. What if Doug hated him? Ste knew he had pushed him away but it didn't mean he never wanted to see him. They _were_ best friends before all of this anyway. Ste splashed his face with cold water and his whole body shivered to reveal goosebumps. He looked up into the mirror and his eyes widened with how tired and drawn he looked. He couldn't help but think of Brendan. The only time he had looked this bad was when he worried and had nightmares that prevented him from sleeping about his relationship with Brendan. All he needed was a black eye and he would be the spitting image of how he looked at one of the worst times in his life. He sighed as he turned his face away. He'd put that part of his life behind him and no-one was going to bring it back up, including him. He pushed any thought of Brendan out of his head for the continuation of his getting ready. By the time he was dressed he already felt more prepared for the day however that didn't stop the nagging feeling of nervousness that seem to take over his body as he walked out the flat after kissing goodbye to Leah and Lucas. He hoped that he would be the first one there.

…

Doug was exhausted. He'd been at the Deli for over 2 hours and he could feel his eyes starting to close by themselves. He sat down on the couch for five minutes letting his brain switch off. He'd entered a light sleep before being startled by someone opening the front door.

"Not get enough sleep lazy?" Ste asked quite playfully._ 'How can he act like this?'_ Doug thought, _'I've had the worst weekend ever because of him. Has he not given me one second of thought?'_

"Obviously." Doug joked. Two could play at that game.

"You been 'ere long?" Ste said as he took off his jacket and took it into the back.

"About half an hour." He didn't want to tell the truth about how long he'd been there. He might sound desperate.

"Bit early innit? Oh well, I hope you got somet done then." Ste put on his apron and stood with his arms crossed behind the counter.

"Yeah, I did actually." Doug opened the fridge to reveal the already prepared fillings and smiled smugly. Ste nodded approvingly and smiled.

"You did well for half an hours work. I don't 'ave to do anythin' now." Ste grinned and sat on the couch with a sigh. His eyes closed and Doug couldn't help but stare at him. He couldn't be more perfect if he tried. He always knew how to style his hair so it would always be perfect, his skin never had a blemish or red patch anywhere and his smile. Doug's stomach flipped at the thought of Ste smiling. The way his eyes lit up and he could make anyone feel special by just smiling at them. Ste opened his eyes and just caught Doug staring. He looked away quickly and cleared his throat. It'd be another half an hour before they needed to open the Deli. He couldn't do this for much longer.

…

Ste stared at Doug who was avoiding his gaze. Ste took in how good he looked today. Just because he couldn't be with him didn't mean he couldn't stop to enjoy the view. He looked at the way his body moved while he did meaningless tasks and couldn't help but imagine what he'd be like without any clothes on. He moved his gaze up hesitating slightly over Doug's crotch before reaching his eyes. His sea of beautiful blue eyes and all the lust vanished. He suddenly felt butterflies in his stomach and he swallowed slightly and his mouth and throat went dry. Ste ripped his eyes away from Doug and shook his head slightly. He couldn't feel like this, he couldn't think like that about him. He could admire him by all means but when that turned into something else he had to stop. Feeling that way about him would only complicate things after he had said no to any chance of a relationship with him.

"You actually doin' anything important or are you goin' to bleach down them counters?" Ste joked about it but Doug actually took the bleach from the back room and started to wipe the surfaces. Ste felt that dread again as his brain went automatically to Brendan. He was bossing Doug around and he was doing as he said. _'Did he think I was going to hit him if he didn't do it?'_ Ste bit the inside of his lip as the worry from that morning started to creep over him again.

…

Doug had already bleached the counters that morning but did it again so Ste wouldn't notice that he couldn't have prepared all the fillings _and_ cleaned the Deli too. Doug's ears still rung with how light Ste's voice was. It was like last week didn't happen at all. All the awkwardness had been swept under the carpet; you couldn't see it but it didn't stop it from being there. Doug started to tighten his grip on the cloth in his hand as his anger started to rise. _'I love him! Or has he forgotten that?' _Doug hated the fact that the person he couldn't get out of his mind hadn't even shown the slightest hint that he couldn't stop thinking about him either. He threw his cloth down and stood leaning on the counter staring at Ste.

"Is that it then? We aren't even going to mention Friday?" Every word had an edge to it and Doug instantly regretted saying them. Ste looked taken aback for a second then walked closer to Doug standing inches away from him.

"What's that supposed to mean? I dint mention Friday 'cause I thought you wouldn't want me to." He said as harsh as Doug had asked.

"Look, I didn't mean it like that." Doug tried to take back his words; awkwardness was better than this.

"It sounded like it to me." Ste wouldn't let him take it back. It was his turn to get angry.

"Hey, I'm not the one who decided it wouldn't be right for us to be together. If you hadn't have said that, it wouldn't have been this awkward today." Doug's words swam in spite; he wanted Ste to realise that it shouldn't have happened that way on Friday. Ste should have let things be; Doug would come out in his own time.

"You're not bein' fair! You're the one who doesn't want to be seen with me in public." Ste bit every word and stood closer to Doug. He had to look up now to see into his eyes and Ste's head filled with that worry again. '_Do I look intimidating? Is he scared?'_

"Why does everyone need to know? I love you. You know, I know; no-one else matters." Doug's voice started to soften as he edged closer to Ste. There was no space between them and both their hearts quickened. Doug reached up until his face was nearly touching Ste's. They both looked at eachothers lips waiting for the other to lean in first...


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note: Okay, so while writing I actually got a flash of inspiration of where I want this story to go and obviously it went to the over-the-top-drama-soapy storyline so let's just say I think it's gonna get a bit angsty! This chapter I sort of wrote because I didn't know how to get the story going; I'm not a writer! So don't expect loads from this chapter it's just a bit of fluff really it's quite sweet I just hope it isn't developing too fast for the characters and how I wrote them previously. Feedback is always nice! :)** _

Doug wanted this to go all the way. He was ready for Ste and wanted him. Badly. He knew this was going to be something special, he knew that Ste felt the same way. He closed his eyes and leaned into Ste. Their mouths were millimetres apart when a loud banging came from the front door. They pulled away from each other; startled. Doug turned away from the door, pretending to be busy behind the counter. Ste took a deep stuttering breath and unlocked the door. It was Amy.

"Hiya, I'm really sorry Ste but you forgot your keys at the flat. I'm going out after so you'll need them to let yourself in. Leah and Lucas are coming with me so you'll probably have the house to yourself." She flashed a brief smile at Doug, which he returned.

"Thanks Amy." He took the keys from her hand and placed them in his back pocket Doug's eyes lingered on Ste's 'back pocket' a little longer than needed.

"I'm dead proud of you, you know," She looked around the Deli smiling, "You and Doug are great business partners. Anyway, I need to get going, the kids have school. Have a good day!" She grinned as she closed the door leaving the Deli silent.

Ste turned around slowly trying to avoid Doug's eyes. Doug wanted to say something but he just stood bleaching down the counter top again. Anything he wanted to say wouldn't come out right anyway.

…

Ste's eyes darted all around the Deli looking for something to distract him. He wanted Doug to say something, anything, just to break the atmosphere. Ste bit the inside of his lip and went to the back room; closing the door behind him. He picked up some already clean pots and started to run the tap. While the water was hitting the metal sink, Ste's mind went into overdrive. _'I nearly did it again. I told him it wasn't going to happen and then I go and do that to him. What's wrong with me?' _As he started to wash one of the pots, his eyes drifted on the picture that he had bought the day Doug had admitted his love for him. Well, admitted probably wasn't the word, more interpreted, he didn't actually say the words 'I love you' but then it hit Ste that before Amy walked in he had said it. He said the words that no man has ever said to him. Ste's heart fluttered but then he inwardly scalded himself for it. _'It's nothing but a crush; he'll get over it soon enough.' _

He washed the same pot for about ten minutes until he realised that the Deli was due to open in less than five. He let the sink out and put all the pots back into the cupboard. He took a long steady breath before he stepped through the door. Ste braced himself for an extremely awkward encounter but was startled to see that Doug wasn't even there. _'Maybe he's gone to the toilet or something.' _Ste relaxed a little. He could put it off for just a little longer. He turned the sign from 'closed' to 'open' and unlocked the door. He stood behind the counter of the empty Deli and tapped his fingers on the surface._ 'I'll be fine by myself for the minute, we're hardly busy in the mornings.'_

…

Doug leant against the wall and slid slowly down it until he was sat at the bottom. He was exhausted and he couldn't stop the creeping feeling of disappointment starting to hang over him. He was frustrated and annoyed and wanted someone, anyone, to talk to. He brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them to him. He didn't want it to be this way. He didn't want Ste to think it was awkward and weird. He wanted it to be natural and loving. He craved affection that he'd been lacking for long time.

He put his head onto his knees and liked how natural it felt to shut his eyes. Before he'd even thought about it his mind had shut down and he relaxed into a dreamless sleep.

"WHAT THE HELL DOUG?" Doug jumped out of his sleep and blinked ferociously at the figure in front of him.

"I'VE HAD TO DO THE RUSH HOUR BY MYSELF! YOU HAVE BEEN GONE SINCE 8 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING! IT'S NOW 5!" Doug hadn't even realised that he'd been asleep and he suddenly became aware of how stiff his body was. He rubbed the back of his sore neck and tried to stand up. His legs gave way beneath him and he landed on a heap back onto the ground. Ste's face looked like thunder and he waited for him to get up. Doug swallowed at his embarrassment as he attempted for the third time to get up off the ground but his legs had a severe feeling of cramp in them and his back wasn't up to it either. Ste sighed very impatiently as he knew he'd have to help him up. He exaggerated his movements as he pulled Doug with a force off the ground. Too much force. Doug was lighter than Ste had imagined him to be so their bodies collided and Doug ended up in Ste's arms. Ste pushed him away leaving Doug to use the wall for support.

…

It was like the words had been taken from him. Ste had been working his feet off at the Deli for hours and hadn't even had time for lunch because his '_partner'_ hadn't shown up. He only had a few leftover samples from the counter to eat. He'd planned that as soon as he could close the Deli; he'd give Doug such a earful he'd go deaf. He had slammed the door and stormed up the path heading for Doug's apartment. He hadn't even got halfway there when he saw him passed out on the pavement. He'd had a whole speech prepared for him but it was like Doug had stolen all the words when he fell into him. He looked at him now and saw that he could barely walk. When he shouted at him his mind didn't even go over the fact that Doug had been sleeping on the street for hours. He wasn't surprised Doug was in pain. Despite his anger, Ste's helpful and sympathetic side overpowered him. Without a word, he wrapped Doug's right arm around his neck and supported him towards his flat.

"I can't go back home, I don't have my keys and no-one's in. That's why I didn't go home in the first place." Ste acknowledged what he said and paused debating whether or not it was a good idea. After conflicting with himself for a minute, he started to walk towards his flat.

…

Ste helped Doug onto the couch and propped him up with a pillow. He flicked on the kettle and as that boiled; he could feel his anger simmer into nothing. It's true, Doug had left him to work all day by himself but he knew that he couldn't have done it on purpose. Doug wasn't like that. Still silent, Ste poured two cups of tea and took them over to Doug. He gave one to him and brought up the chair from the table to sit on. They sat in silence for a few minutes but Ste could see Doug's mind working. He couldn't stop the smirk on his face as Doug gave the apology that he'd been anticipating.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't ...I didn't know that... I didn't even realise I'd been sleeping. I... I just closed my eyes and..."

"It dunt matter," Ste interrupted, "I know you wouldn't not come to work just cause it'd be awkward for us." Doug's breathed out and only then did he realise he'd been holding it. He smiled at Ste then looked down at his tea like it was a very interesting TV programme. Ste took little sips of his tea while he watched Doug start to fidget on the couch. He was about to laugh at him when he caught the look of pain on Doug's face. He felt concern stir up inside him.

"You okay?" Doug sat still for a minute until the shooting pain in his neck and back eased a little.

"I'll be fine." Doug said with gritted teeth. Ste sighed and placed his tea down on the table. He stood up and walked over to Doug and helped him to sit upright. Doug went with Stes every movement and made his body do what Ste wanted it to. Ste's hands hovered over Doug's shoulders. _'Is this a good idea?' _Ignoring his better judgement, he gripped Doug's shoulders gently but with a firmness. He started to squeeze them with a soft rhythm. Doug rolled his shoulders with every squeeze and felt his eyes go heavy again. He let his head fall backwards onto the top of the couch and sighed in content. Ste, without even thinking, let one of his hands go to Doug's hair. He stroked it lightly as he continued to massage his shoulders with the other. He saw Doug smile beneath him and felt his body relax under his hand. Doug's breathing became slower and deeper. His head lulled to the side and leaned on Ste's arm. Ste put the arm that was in Doug's hair around the back of his head and gently lowered him back to the couch. Doug didn't stir once as Ste put a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body. Ste smiled at his handiwork and felt like he'd done a good deed. Like he'd given to charity or something. He checked the clock to see it was only ten past six and realised that he had to get back to the Deli. He used the excuse that he'd gone to get some dinner but he had to go back. It didn't close until 9 o'clock and that didn't include tidying up afterwards. He hoped that it wouldn't be busy so he could just close up as soon as he got there. After a long day with no sleep, he felt like he could just curl up on the floor and be comfy. Ste suddenly knew why Doug had fell asleep on the street.

Ste was wrong. It was busy when he got back as soon as he opened he had the clubers and drinkers coming in for a drunken snack. After about an hour and a half of non-stop people, the Deli became ghost town and Ste, relieved, locked the door. He was definitely ready for bed and really couldn't be bothered with cleaning the shop up. He thought for a minute deciding whether or not he should stay tonight and clean or get up extra early tomorrow. He couldn't be arsed doing either. Eventually he threw his apron on the couch and grabbed his jacket off the peg. _'It won't look as bad in the morning.' _

Ste practically ran out of the Deli in excitement to get home. He couldn't wait to get home to sleep and eat. He suddenly realised how hungry he was after having such a little lunch. When he got home he went straight to the fridge and grabbed anything he could find. He ended up with a pasta pot that was supposed to be for Amy. _'I'll just buy her another.' _He took a bar of chocolate and a bottle of water and felt his mouth salivate._ 'Not the best dinner but whatever.' _He turned round to see Doug on the couch asleep and almost dropped everything. He'd completely forgotten he was there. He laughed at his own stupidity and made his way to his bedroom. The last sound of the flat that night was the gentle 'click' as Ste closed his bedroom door.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Note: I'm VERY sorry about the long wait! It's been really long and I don't want to bore you with excuses but I've had a lot of exams and revision to do -_- I tried to get this out last week but then writers block hit me. I wasn't sure how to write it and I'm not 100% certain I've wrote it right anyway. I wasn't actually going to turn this into a particularly mature story but it gets a bit steamy at the end, I'm not sure if this was right for the characters at the moment but I had loads of fun with it. I think I've planted the seed for the storyline to go ahead so hopefully writers block won't be so much of a problem. Thanks so much for the reviews and favorites ** **and all that jazz. I felt like giving up on this story but I knew I couldn't leave you hanging! So here's the long awaited chapter. I hope it was worth the wait XD ** _

"You sleep well?" Amy smiled at Doug from across the table.

"Really well actually. Best sleep I've had in ages." Doug grinned at Amy and was extremely pleased that she hadn't been angry of his presence in her flat.

"Good, well, Ste will probably be ready soon. I suppose you'll be going to work together?" Doug swallowed his last piece of toast and shook his head.

"I may as well get something done if I'm up. Ste always takes ages to get ready anyway." Doug stood up and placed his plate in the sink. He gave Amy a friendly parting glance and he shut the door to the flat.

Amy hugged both her hands around her cup of coffee and leaned back into her chair._ 'It's weird. Doug and Ste have alw__ays been friends but they've never done something like this before.' _She tapped her index finger on the side of the coffee cup and sighed. Realisation flooded into her as she remembered yesterday and when she walked into the Deli. It looked pretty tense between them although at the time she didn't notice.

_'Are Ste and Doug a thing?'_

Amy smiled to herself. She felt pretty smart at her perception.

"MUMMY!" Amy was jerked out of her thoughts and sighed again at the peace she was about to lose. The kids were up now.

…

Ste laughed as Leah tried to wipe the jam off her nose. She had spread it, moved it and made it worse; she frowned as her dad chuckled at her.

"It's not funny!"

"No, it isn't. You have a sticky face now!" Amy smiled and gently lifted her daughter's head up and licked a tissue. She wiped her daughter's nose and Leah scrunched her face up in response.

"Go and play with your brother." Ste said as he held Leah's hand as she jumped off her chair. She ran to the living room floor, picked up another toy car and started to race Lucas with it; making engine noises as they went. Amy and Ste looked lovingly at their children before Amy realised that she needed to ask Ste something.

"Ste?"

"Hm?" Ste looked up expectantly to Amy.

"Why did Doug stay here last night?" Ste paused for a second before coming up with an answer.

"He dint have his keys and no-one was in the flat so I told him he could stay 'ere. Was that a problem?"

"No, no, not at all. I'm just saying... You two have been getting on really well recently haven't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not bothered or anything, I'm happy for you actually. He's a nice guy Ste," She showed an understanding smile and took Ste's hand. He was extremely confused for a moment but ripped his hand away when he realised what she was insinuating.

"I'm not goin' out with Doug!" He looked at her through panicked eyes. Doug was not going to blame him for outing him.

"It's really OK if you are! I mean, I know Doug probably isn't out yet or anything but it's alright. I won't tell anyone." She had a reassurance in her voice that was very comforting. Ste waited; his mind spinning.

'_She won't tell anyone. I could tell her everything and I know she would keep it a secret.__'_Ste was about to open his mouth when,

"OH GOD! THE TIME! Leah, Lucas get your things! We have to leave now!" She hurried towards the door grabbing her coat on the way. Ste leapt into action and helped his children with their bags and coats. By the time they had all finished rushing, they looked pink and flustered as they walked through the door. Ste held the door open for them as they practically sprinted down the hallway barely looking at him as they passed. He smirked to himself and picked up his keys and jacket from the table. He shut the door behind him as he made his way to the Deli.

…

Doug was appalled by the mess that greeted him when he walked in. He'd been at work for half an hour now and he still hadn't finished cleaning up. As much as he admired the way Ste had organised himself with the business; he wasn't half messy! Doug didn't really mind. He was used to cleaning up after people and, would never admit it, but was a bit of a clean freak that liked to tidy up. He had just finished cleaning all the old fillings from yesterday when there was a knock at the door.

"You forgot your key again?" Doug shouted playfully as he walked towards the door. His heart dropped when he caught sight of the man waiting outside.

Brendan looked through the door expectantly with his eyebrow raised. Doug clumsily unlocked the door and let him in. Despite his obvious hate towards Brendan, he was also scared of him.

"I thought you'd be open by now, Douglas." Brendan remarked sarcastically, his speech was slightly off because of the chewing gum in his mouth. God, he was a loud chewer.

"You thought wrong." Doug tried to sound confident but his voice wavered. The edges of Brendan's mouth twitched making his moustache do the same. Brendan knew when people were scared of him; he took great joy in it, especially when it was someone who was so easy to scare.

"So where's your little partner in crime?" Brendan glanced slightly behind Doug seeing if Ste was there. Doug swallowed and shifted himself backwards slightly. He felt Brendan had never mastered the art of personal space.

"He's not here yet. But he'll probably come soon and when he does I don't think he'll be happy to see you here."

"You know Douglas; you shouldn't talk to me like that. I was nice enough to give you the money to this place _and_ I haven't told a soul about it. I could easily tell him as soon as he walked through that door." Brendan smiled a slanted grin at Doug, still chewing on his gum. Doug hated him; so much. He didn't want to have to owe him anything and certainly didn't want him still in his or Ste's life. Doug felt automatically protective over Ste and his confidence grew slightly.

"I think you should just leave; for your sake." Doug stared at Brendan as coldly as he could from the height distance. It was hard to look patronising when someone was towering over you. Brendan didn't move for a moment and snorted; with his mouth still in its sideways smirk. Doug felt his skin crawl for a second; thinking that Ste had kissed that mouth nearly made him heave. Doug broke the staring competition and stared out the shop window. He could feel Brendan's unblinking eyes upon him and became more and more nervous.

Just as Doug was about to say more, through the shop window he saw Ste turning the corner with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders braced up to the wind. Ste looked up and met Doug's eyes. Ste nearly smiled but was stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of the man that was with him. Brendan followed Doug's gaze and found himself also looking at Ste. It would almost seem comical if Ste hadn't had a look of intense hate in his eyes. He wasn't scared of Brendan, certainly not anymore, but he still wouldn't forgive him for what he did to him. No-one could. It still confused him why Amy had forgiven him.

Ste was the first to tear his gaze away and instead heftily made his way to the Deli door; Doug and Brendan still looking at him. Ste entered, looking particularly disheveled whether it was from the wind or the sight of Brendan; Doug wasn't so sure. He could see Ste square up slightly as he stood to Brendan.

"What are you doin' here?" Ste had a slight sharp edge to his voice but it didn't sound very angry; just suspicious.

"I thought I'd come and see how your business is doing," Brendan was extremely calm and every word rolled off his tongue with ease. He tried to look innocent but the man had been accused for a murder he had nothing to do with; he wasn't capable of looking innocent.

"Well, you can leave now everythin's fine." Ste had finality to his voice and Brendan obviously heard it. He stepped back slightly and looked at Ste intently. The tension was heavy; Doug could almost feel it. Brendan flashed his sideward smile at them both and wiggled his fingers as he opened the door. He slammed it back in its doorframe and Ste and Doug were left in a ringing silence.

…

Ste could feel the heat rise up in his body. His face had surely gone red but at the same time he felt powerful; in control. Brendan had pushed him around and made him feel pathetic and weak in the past; but as he got over the whole relationship, he felt more and more confident. Today was a good day.

Ste smiled triumphantly at Doug and slid his jacket of his shoulders with a swift movement. Doug just stood awkwardly watching Ste go to the back room and find his apron. He composed himself and went behind the counter. Doug felt proud; he had just watched a giant step in the right direction to restoring Ste's confidence with Brendan. As Ste came out looking pretty happy, Doug returned a solid grin. He turned and sighed at the dirty counters and left out litter. He faced Ste with mock stern.

"You left this place in a state last night." He tried to sound serious but there was too much excitement in the air for that and ended up sounded like he was about to burst out laughing. Ste's lips trembled as his tried to contain a laugh. He'd known Doug long enough now to notice little habits and weird traits. He found it pretty funny that Doug was a bit OCD.

"I was gonna do it this mornin'." Ste replied cheekily.

"No, you weren't!" Doug said with a slight humour to his voice, "You knew I would end up cleaning it!" Ste couldn't stifle back a little chuckle at Doug's attempt at trying to scald him.

"I was! I knew you'd help though…" Doug gasped dramatically and threw the cloth at him that was on the countertop. It hit Ste square in the face and he ended up looking quite dazed. Doug laughed out loud at the sight and surprise as he had never really had good aim. Ste narrowed his eyes and let a small smile onto his lips. He grabbed the cloth and threw it back. Doug anticipated the throw and moved out of its path. He laughed again.

"You won't be laughing in a minute!" Ste pounced forward and grabbed Doug. He started to tickle up Doug's torso.

Doug lost his senses for a moment at the unexpected body contact but then got lost in a fit of giggles as Ste continued to tickle him.

"Stop…please…" Doug could barely get the words out through his involuntary laughter. Ste had no idea that he was that ticklish and joined in with Doug. He became aware of how close they were and couldn't help but admire the way Doug looked when he laughed. His hands slowed down and they were just resting upon Doug's frame. He looked flushed when he turned round to look at Ste. The atmosphere went from light to heavy within seconds but it wasn't unpleasant. Ste still had his arms wrapped around Doug's waist and let his eyes dart from his piercing blue eyes to his slightly parted lips. Doug turned slightly so he was facing Ste and placed his hands upon Ste's upper arms. Ste's breath shook and he smiled slightly. Doug basked in the embrace and shared Ste's smile. They continued to hold each other for a few moments until Doug moved slightly closer towards Ste. Their bodies were extremely close together and Doug swallowed as he felt Ste's crotch on his own. He blushed and looked down to the ground. He felt Ste's hand move from his waist to his chin and Ste gently moved it up towards his face. He moved his hand to Doug's cheek and rested it there. Doug moved his left arm to a new position on Ste's hip. Ste closed his eyes and gently kissed Doug's lips. He pulled back again slightly and looked at Doug; waiting for his approval. Doug gave his answer by closing the gap between them again.

The kiss was extremely slow at first; both of them barely wanting to move but as Doug grew more confident he started to part his lips more; opening and closing them in a rhythm that Ste soon picked up. Ste's heart fluttered and he found himself getting more into the kiss. He let his tongue flicker slightly on Doug's bottom lip and felt him shiver with pleasure. He smiled inwardly and let his tongue explore Doug's mouth. Doug let Ste take his mouth for a moment then let his own tongue reciprocate. He flicked the edge of Ste's tongue with his own and slowly fought for dominance. Ste let slip a slight moan from the back of his throat as Doug found his inner alpha-male. Doug felt his bottom half stir powerfully as he heard Ste moan. Ste let him into his mouth and Doug explored it. Having now both become more familiar with each other; their confidence grew. Both of their tongues fought for a while until Doug pushed Ste quite hard against the wall. Ste gasped slightly into the kiss and Doug used this as an advantage to take Ste's mouth again. Doug pinned Ste's hands above his head and placed his thigh in between Ste's legs. Ste moaned again, this time louder as Doug pushed his thigh into Ste's crotch. Ste took his hands away from Doug's grasp and grabbed his hair. He pulled Doug closer to him and fell deeper into the kiss. Doug was licking Ste's lower lip; making him tremble beneath him. He gently nipped Ste's lip and pulled it. Ste's let out a groan and pulled Doug into him again. He couldn't get close enough; he wanted to rip every piece of clothing from Doug's body and found it very hard not to. Despite the very erotic though, having sex with him for the first time inside their Deli isn't exactly how he wanted it to be. Ste reluctantly pulled back and instantly missed Doug's mouth. He smiled down at Doug and shifted slightly. Doug knew that they had to stop too and let his thigh drop from Ste's slightly parted legs. Ste wanted it back there and his heart dropped a little when it was removed. He had quite an uncomfortable hard-on but felt he couldn't do much about it with the Deli due to open within minutes. Both their aprons were crumpled and their faces were tinted pink. Ste's bottom lip was a little swollen and Doug couldn't help feel a little bit too proud that he'd been the one responsible for it. Ste patted down his apron and cleared his throat. He looked up to the door and suddenly became aware of the fact the door had been unlocked this whole time. Not to mention that they had just given a show to pretty much the whole of the village through the glass windows. But as he glanced up the street he couldn't see anyone around. The village was pretty much dead at this time; the time when most kids were at school and most adults were at work. He doubted anyone had seen. He didn't mention this little fact to Doug however; he didn't want to ruin a good moment. They smiled at each other nervously and Ste went up close to Doug again. He turned his head so he was barely touching Doug's neck he whispered in his ear breathily.

"Why don't we have a little lunch break at my flat?" He moved his head away from Doug and raised his eyebrows a little. Doug's throat went dry.

"Ok." His answer was barely audible but Ste heard him. Ste turned and picked the cloth from before off the floor. He went to the backroom and Doug heard him clatter about a bit. Doug didn't realise he was holding his breath until he released it with a long sigh. _'1 o'clock. I don't have to wait that long.' _Doug rubbed his clammy palms together and leant his front against the counter. The door of the Deli opened and Doug smiled as a young woman came up to him to place her order. _'It can't come soon enough.'_

…

Brendan rubbed his face with the palm of his hand as his nostrils flared. Brendan didn't like the aspect of his personality that made him jealous but he had it and he certainly couldn't get rid of it. As he sat on the bar stool of ChezChez he let the jealous cloud fog his brain. He didn't like people taking his things; especially when he'd given them so much already.

'_Ste is mine.'_


End file.
